1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to equipment for shredding, harvesting, destroying or otherwise processing aquatic vegetation. More specifically, the present invention concerns an apparatus particularly configured for destroying floating aquatic vegetation, such as water hyacinths, which have a tendency to render a body of water unnavigable.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Floating aquatic vegetation is a nuisance in virtually all bodies of water. However, some forms of vegetation are so problematic that marine operations become paralyzed and the aquatic ecosystem is devastated.
Particularly, the vegetation may become so densely populated and severely entangled that it presents a large floating mass. In this respect, when a boat encounters such a mass of vegetation, the boat essentially has to push the entire mass of vegetation when moving through the body of water or must, in some way, work through the mass. It will be appreciated that floating vegetation, such as water hyacinths, have been known to cover a body of water at an average of 125 tons of vegetation per acre. Most water vessels simply do not have enough power to push even one acre of water hyacinths and consequently become mired in the vegetation. Further, traditional boat hulls are not capable of slicing or otherwise working through the entangled mass of vegetation.
With respect to marine life, the vegetation will often blanket the surface of the body of water so as to block virtually all sunlight. Obviously, this adversely affects life forms utilizing photosynthetic reactions for energy (e.g., microorganisms, algae, underwater plants, etc.). If these forms of life are eradicated, the remaining marine life which rely upon these life forms for energy and oxygen production will also eventually die. Accordingly, some forms of vegetation have been known to destroy entire aquatic ecosystems. It will be appreciated that these problems are magnified because the vegetation acts like a barrier restricting movement of gasses between the atmosphere and body of water. That is, gasses produced by the decay of dead organisms are trapped within the body of water, and diffusion of oxygen from the atmosphere to the water is restricted (note, the lack of photosynthetic reactions severely depletes the level of oxygen in the water).
In the past, there have been various attempts to destroy floating aquatic vegetation or, at the very least, control the growth of the vegetation. For example, chemical and/or biological agents have been utilized in some geographic areas. However, a vast majority of chemical agents for killing vegetation are relatively uncontrollable and consequently present various residual effects, such as killing other aquatic life. Chemical agents may also render the body of water unpotable, which will clearly harm surrounding animal life. Traditional biological agents, including plant-eating organisms (e.g., insects), have also proven to be deficient in controlling aquatic vegetation. It will be noted that water hyacinths are often referred to as "weeds" because they rapidly multiply and are extremely hardy. Because most biological agents function in a relatively slow manner, this technique is typically ineffective in destroying the vegetation. Additionally, some biological agents similarly have detrimental residual effects.
Various machines have been developed to deal with the problems presented by floating aquatic vegetation. A large number of these machines are provided on marine vessels and are configured to comminute the vegetation as the vessel moves through the body of water. In some instances, the machine includes means for removing the vegetation from the water, either before or after it is comminuted. However, such conventional machinery have proven to be ineffective in destroying vegetation. For example, conventional machinery often have problems with presenting the vegetation to the comminuting device such that the vegetation is pushed by the vessel or moves around or under the vessel, rather than being comminuted. A number of conventional comminuting devices fail to sufficiently shred the vegetation. In instances where the vegetation is discharged back into the body of water, the insufficiently shredded vegetation will simply regrow.